PROGRAM ABSTRACT The Association of Minority Health Professions Schools, Inc. (AMHPS) proposes to implement the 24th Annual Symposium on Career Opportunities in the Biomedical Sciences and Health Professions from April 16-17, 2010. For two days, approximately 300 racial and ethnic minority high school and undergraduate students will be exposed to various career opportunities in the biomedical sciences and health professions through educational workshops, video presentations, interactive sessions, exhibits, and scientific poster presentations. The overall goal of the 24th AMHPS Symposium is to increase the awareness of biomedical science and health professions careers among minority student. By increasing this awareness, it is anticipated that this program will assist in addressing the problem of workforce diversity by increasing the number of minority students who will ultimately consider careers as biomedical scientists and/or health professionals. The objectives of the Symposium are to: 1) Identify, recruit, select and encourage the participation of at least 300 minority students who demonstrate potential for succeeding in the health professions;2) Provide mentors/role models to promote and encourage students'career choices toward biomedical sciences and the health professions;and 3) Provide a platform for students to showcase their research projects. For over twenty-three years AMHPS has implemented student development programs with the goal of diversifying the biomedical science and health professions workforce. Over 15,000 students have participated in AMHPS sponsored Symposia and many have continued on to become health professionals thanks in part to the support and encouragement of the AMHPS Symposium. Alumni are employed is diverse field such as government (Dr. Carl Hill, Health Scientist Administrator in the Extramural Associates Program, NICHD/NIH), business (Dr. Cheryl Gilbreath, Health Insurance Specialist with the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services in MD), education (Dr. Douglas M. Willis, Professor at Texas Southern University) and research (Dr. Marcus Iszard, Director of Assessment in the Division of Pharmacology at the UM-KC). Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director of AHRQ, in a article published in the Journal for Minority Medical Students (2004) cites that poor communication between doctors and minority patients may be one source of racial disparities in the use of health services and as a result AHRQ is committed to enhancing the racial and ethnic diversity in the health services community through supporting early career development.6 The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) state that 'increasing the racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals is important because evidence indicates that diversity is associated with improved access to care for racial and ethnic minority patients, greater patient choice and satisfaction, and better educational experiences for health professions students, among many other benefits The AMHPS is in a unique position to address this dilemma.1 As a professional association representing a consortium of 12 of the nation's historically black graduate health schools in the areas of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine, AMHPS is aware that preparation of the student body for this professional training must start long before the graduate level. The AMHPS recognizes and promotes student development programs, as a pipeline to cultivating future biomedical scientists and other health professionals in the minority ranks. The changing ethnic/racial climate in the United States requires that an association such as AMHPS devote efforts to promote an increase of the underrepresented minorities in the ranks of biomedical scientists, teachers and practitioners. The Symposium evaluation will be both formative and summative in nature. The Formative Evaluation component of the Symposium is designed to improve and enhance planning and implementation of Symposia activities. On-site surveys and focus groups of students, counselors, mentors and workshop presenters will provide the sources of data for this component. The Summative Evaluation component of the Symposium will address the immediate achievement of learning objectives and long-term impact goals of becoming a health care professional. Annual evaluation reports coupled with other sources of data (in-depth interviews, case studies, and online follow-up surveys) will serve as the primary method of data collection. Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director of AHRQ, in a article published in the Journal for Minority Medical Students (2004) cites that poor communication between doctors and minority patients may be one source of racial disparities in the use of health services and as a result AHRQ is committed to enhancing the racial and ethnic diversity in the health services community through supporting early career development.6 The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) state that 'increasing the racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals is important because evidence indicates that diversity is associated with improved access to care for racial and ethnic minority patients, greater patient choice and satisfaction, and better educational experiences for health professions students, among many other benefits For over twenty-three years AMHPS has implemented student development programs with the goal of diversifying the biomedical science and health professions workforce;the AMHPS is in a unique position to address this dilemma1 as a professional association representing a consortium of 12 of the nation's historically black graduate health schools in the areas of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine, AMHPS is aware that preparation of the student body for this professional training must start long before the graduate level and proposes to implement the 24th Annual Symposium on Career Opportunities in the Biomedical Sciences and Health Professions from April 16-17, 2010. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies state that "increasing the racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals is important because evidence indicates that diversity is associated with improved access to care for racial and ethnic minority patients, greater patient choice and satisfaction, and better educational experiences for health professions students, among many other benefits.